


Black in the Moonlight

by MyThoughtBubbles



Series: Indulgences [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, BAMF Umino Iruka, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Cannibalism, Folk-horror, Happy Halloween, M/M, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, Pre-Relationship, Predator/Prey, Survival Horror, Trapped on a mountain, Wendigo, camping gone wrong, classic horror movie trope, it's also winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:21:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26807269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyThoughtBubbles/pseuds/MyThoughtBubbles
Summary: The fire crackled loudly and Iruka tensed. He noticed Mizuki listening in and Hayase staring at Izumo intently.“You see, they’re no longer human. Instead of a head, it’s a bleached-white skull with empty holes where the eyes used to be. Sometimes it’s a stag or a wolf; other times, you don’t know what it is. You just catch a glimpse of white in the trees as it hunts you down.” Izumo straightened up. “Legend has it that anyone who dares camp out on this mountain on this very day will find themselves face-to-face with those who survived that night.”Or: my take on a classic horror trope
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Series: Indulgences [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/764616
Comments: 26
Kudos: 146





	1. A Story

**Author's Note:**

> Fair warning - this was originally in present tense and now it's in past tense, so there's probably an assload of slip-ups. :D

“Trapped on the mountain by the snow, one by one, they went insane. And after that, they got _hungry_. And you know what they ate?”

“Not the hamburgers you burned, that’s for sure.”

Iruka groaned with the rest of the group and chucked a marshmallow at Kotetsu. “Shut up and let him finish.” 

“We’ve heard this before, and it’s just a lege—hey!” Kotetsu slipped off his log as a few more marshmallows were launched at him.

“It’s not true anyways,” Mizuki said disinterestedly, stabbing a stick into the fire. “They found the bodies and they were all still human. It’s not even this mountain, it’s the—”

 _“—it’s part of the tradition,”_ Hayase interjected. “Izumo, keep going!”

 _“As I was saying,”_ Izumo continued loudly, raising his hands and looming over the fire, “starving, alone, the cavers got hungry and they ate the only thing around.” He paused and looked around the campfire circle, the flames throwing his face into harsh shadows. “Each other.”

Iruka grinned, a tiny shiver running down his back. He pulled his coat snug and leaned forward as Mizuki sighed beside him and fiddled with his red armband.

“So they ate and ate, but no matter how much they consumed, they were still hungry. Campers began to go missing. Strange creatures were seen lurking on the mountain. Creatures with long, skinny limbs, their skin so tight you could see the bones and muscle moving underneath. Claws sharp enough to rip your flesh off the bone. Horns like tree branches. The worst part is the head.”

The fire crackled loudly and Iruka tensed. He noticed Mizuki listening in and Hayase staring at Izumo intently.

“You see, they’re no longer human. Instead of a head, it’s a bleached-white skull with empty holes where the eyes used to be. Sometimes it’s a stag or a wolf; other times, you don’t know what it is. You just catch a glimpse of white in the trees as it hunts you down.” Izumo straightened up. “Legend has it that anyone who dares camp out on this mountain on this very day will find themselves face-to-face with those who survived that night.”

Kotetsu popped back up. “Hey, what’s the definition of trust? Two cannibals giving each other blowjobs—”

“Kotetsu!” Izumo tackled him off the log.

“Augh!”

Iruka jumped to his feet and dodged a stray leg. “Oi, watch the fire!”

“Izumo, chill!”

“Iruka, c’mon, let’s go.” Mizuki threw his marshmallow-tacky stick into the woods. “We’ll need to be up early for the hike.”

“Mizuki watch out, you’ll be the first!”

Mizuki flipped his middle finger at Kotetsu without looking.

“Alright, mood’s ruined.” Hayase grabbed the bag of marshmallows. He stuffed a few in his mouth and hopped over to Iruka and Mizuki. “You guys heading back to camp?”

Iruka nodded. “I’m not babysitting those two.” He glanced towards them and immediately looked away with a scowl. “If you’re gonna fuck out here, you’re putting the fire out,” he called out.

“Mind if I tag along?” Hayase asked trailing behind as Iruka and Mizuki leave the campfire circle. 

“What, scared to go by yourself?” Mizuki sneered. “Don’t tell me you believe that stupid story.”

Hayase eyed him coolly and Iruka jammed an elbow into Mizuki’s side. “It’s fine. Thanks for inviting us. Who knows when we’ll get another opportunity for all of us to meet up again.”

“You’re going out of state?”

“Yeah. A full ride – I couldn’t say no.”

“What about you, Mizuki?”

“We’re going to the same university,” Mizuki grunted. 

“Ōkei’s going out of state, too.”

Iruka glanced at Hayase. “Ōkei couldn’t make it, right? You’re bunking by yourself?”

“Yeah. He didn’t want me to join the group, actually.”

“Why did you?” Iruka asked. 

Hayase looked up at the full moon above them. “No reason. I just wanted to come.”

* * *

Footsteps stomped outside the tent and someone yanked the zipper down. 

Startled awake, Iruka jolted upright and saw Hayase poke his head in, the blinding glare of his flashlight bouncing between Iruka and Mizuki. Iruka squinted and raised a hand to block the beam, but not before he caught an odd look on Hayase’s face.

“Hayase? What—?”

“The fuck? We’re trying to sleep,” Mizuki growled as he propped himself up on his elbow and scrubbed his palm against his face.

“Kotetsu and Izumo,” Hayase breathed out in a visible puff and edged the flashlight down. Iruka saw his face clearly; Hayase looked scared. “They haven’t come back.”

Iruka blinked, his sleepiness vanishing. “They’re not in their tent?”

Hayase shook his head impatiently. “I checked. I got up to use the bathroom and I passed by their tent — it was empty, like they never came back.”

“They’re probably still by the fire,” Mizuki groaned. He laid back down and settled into his sleeping bag. “They’re fine, go away.”

Iruka shot Mizuki a look of disgust. “Did you try calling them? Check the fire pit?” he said to Hayase.

“Ah, no.” Hayase squirmed. “I didn’t go that far out and my phone didn’t have signal.”

“Neither did mine when I couldn’t find the lodge earlier. I’ll go with you, then.” Reluctantly, Iruka unzipped his sleeping bag and reached for his thick winter coat; in the few seconds he was uncovered, the cool air stripped away the cozy warmth the sleeping bag provided.

Mizuki glanced over. “You’re heading out? Seriously? It’s two am!”

“So? What if they’re really missing?”

“From what? You think the _wendigos_ got them? Gobbled them up for a midnight snack?”

Ignoring Mizuki, Iruka strapped on his boots and made sure his red armband was visible around the sleeve of his coat. He snagged his flashlight and popped out of the tent to join Hayase.

“You think they’re lost?” Hayase aimed his flashlight towards the woods blocking the path to the campfire. He stomped his feet. “It’s fucking _freezing_ out here.”

Around them, the black of the mountain loomed heavily. The dense trees looked impenetrable and unwelcoming, a stark difference to the appearance when they arrived at the lodge and hiked up to the campgrounds. 

Iruka shifted his weight as he gazed apprehensively at the woods. Why is it so quiet? “They might’ve gone to the other camps? I heard Genma and Raidou knew some of the other guys that hiked up with us, the ones from the blue camp.” Iruka eyed the tree line. “It’s not far from here, if I remember right.”

Mizuki yanked the tent flap aside and glared at them. “If you think I’m spending the night trekking this fucking mountain for those two fucking idiots—”

“Funny, we weren’t asking you to come,” Iruka snapped, rounding on Mizuki. “What’s your problem?”

“Who’s scared now?” Hayase said snidely and took a step back as Mizuki jerked towards him.

_“Shut the fuck up!”_

“Why did you even come?”

Mizuki looked at Iruka and faltered. “You know why I came,” he said roughly, losing some of his aggression.

“You should’ve stayed back,” Iruka responded coldly and turned his back. “Hayase, let’s go.” 

“R-right.”

“Iru—”

 _“Hayase.”_ Iruka marched towards the path that led to the firepit.

Abruptly, something on the mountain shrieked, the sound distinctly inhuman.

Iruka froze, alarm budding at the base of his spine. “The hell was that?”

“You think it was a bear?” The beam of Hayase’s flashlight darted around.

“Maybe an elk? Bears don’t sound like that.”

“It didn’t sound like a person either,” Hayase whispered. 

Another metallic screech and a thicker silence followed, blanketing the mountain

“I think it’s coming from the other camp,” Iruka said uneasily and tugged on his beanie. “Should we go see…?”

“We have to,” Hayase urges. “You should lead the way, I don’t know it.”

Iruka frowned. “I don’t know it either. I use the map.”

Mizuki climbed out of the tent with a scowl. He moved to Iruka’s side and turned on his own flashlight. “It’s probably Kotetsu and Izumo fucking with the blue camp.”

“You’re coming along?” Hayase asked, his eyes narrowing.

“I’m already up; the last thing I need is to be recruited in _another_ search party because you two got lost. I’ll lead the way.” He veered towards the path, the beam of his flashlight lighting the way.

Iruka and Hayase shared a shrug and silently followed.

* * *

The full moon peeked through the heavy canopy of trees, allowing just enough silver light that Iruka could avoid the fallen logs and stones on the path, saving his light’s battery. The occasional gust of wind broke through the wall of trees and nipped their exposed skin.

“How come you know the path?” Hayase asked Mizuki after a while of silence, jogging up beside him as Iruka hung back a few stepped.

“My family came here pretty often when I was a kid,” Mizuki said reluctantly and waved an arm to the right. “I know the mountain pretty well. We used to stay in the log cabins by the lake before they were demolished.”

Iruka listened in, surprised. Mizuki never mentioned knowing the mountain when Iruka told him about the trip.

“Because of the murders?”

 _“There weren’t any murders._ The campers starved to death or got lost on the mountain and the wildlife got them. It’s happened before and it’ll happen again.”

“That’s not what the camp rangers said,” Hayase pressed. “They say they’ve seen the creatures wandering around, that they look almost human.”

“—and they say that so idiots like you keep coming back,” Mizuki snapped. “It’s a tourist attraction, their version of a haunted house. It’s a fucking gimmick.”

“What about the bone pits? How do you explain that?”

“Again, it’s their way to lure people—”

A breeze picked up and rattled the trees, bringing a foul, thick scent that stopped them in their tracks.

“Augh, what is that?” Iruka covered his nose and gagged. “I can taste it.”

“Smells like something decomposing,” Mizuki muttered as he used his arm to block his nose. “Probably a deer or racoon.”

“Deer,” Hayase confirmed, having gone up ahead. “Found it.”

Iruka hesitantly joins Hayase and looked down. He gapes. “Jesus, what the hell did _that?”_

The belly of the deer had been torn open and its mottled entrailed had been pulled and dragged through the dirt. Thick chunks of flesh from its legs and throat were missing and white bones gleamed through the black sludge of rot. 

Iruka followed the neck up to the deer’s head and flinched as an intact cloudy eye peered back at him. “That’s awful.”

Hayase turned to Mizuki, his expression almost accusatory. “They mentioned finding all sorts of animals injured in the same way. The campers, the only ones whose bodies they found, were _just like this_. Still think that’s nothing?”

“Let me get this straight,” Mizuki began loudly, almost shouting. “Instead of thinking sanely and realizing there’s bears on this mountain, you think of some stupid folktale?”

“There’ve been no cases of bears attacking people on the mountain,” Hayase said quietly and switched his flashlight off. “You don’t know what’s out there.”

Mizuki turned bright red. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Beneath Mizuki’s yelling, Iruka caught the faint sound of something shuffling through darkness and he glanced back, wary. The beam of his flashlight trailed along the bushes, revealing nothing. The noise came again and the hairs on the back of Iruka’s neck stood straight; he was acutely aware they were being watched.

“‘What’s out there’? Hayase, my god, it’s a story! Fuck, even Izumo knows this!”

“Mizuki,” Iruka whispered with a dry mouth, slowly backing up onto the path. “Mizuki, shut up.”

“Iruka, talk some sense into this lunatic before he gets us all killed.”

A twig snapped behind them and the woods went silent. 

Mizuki spun around, flashing his light into the trees. “What was that?”

“Shh!” Iruka hissed and didn’t dare move. His heart hammered in his chest and he was sure whatever was out there could hear it. His eyes flitted between the trees and he wondered if was a bear or another deer or— his eyes widened to saucers as he caught the edge of something white slinking behind a large tree. Iruka blinked furiously and it didn’t reappear. _I imagined it,_ he thought forcibly, _I didn’t see anything. It’s just a story, nothing more._

A long moment passed and the sensation of being watched faded. 

Iruka blew out a breath and tried to force the tremor out of his hand as he turned to Mizuki. “Fuck. What do you think was…” he stopped. “Where’s Hayase?”

“He was here beside me...”

“Hayase?” Iruka left the path and took a few stepped past a crowd of bushes. “Oi, Hayase!”

“Iruka, get back here,” Mizuki called out tiredly. “Bastard’s probably hiding. Trying to scare us since we don’t believe in monsters. The only thing that’ll get you killed out here is—augh!” 

Iruka glanced back in time to see Mizuki hauled off the path and into the woods by something tall, moving incredibly fast.

“Mizuki!” Iruka bolted after him. Branches whipped at his face and pulled his hair as he darted around the trees and towards the bouncing beam of Mizuki’s flashlight, pushing himself to run faster as it grew further and further away. It suddenly stopped and Iruka caught up. “Mizuki!” Iruka rushed forward and found Mizuk’s flashlight but nothing more.

Mizuki’s screams had cut off, leaving the woods eerily quiet.

 _“Fuck, fuck fuck!”_ Iruka shined his flashlight around desperately. He didn’t know which way to go, the trees around him identical. “Mizuki?” he whispered, afraid as he realized how alone he was. The cold air stung his lungs. He took a step. “Miz?”

Something dropped beside him with a muffled thud.

His cry lodged in his throat, Iruka threw himself backwards, the flashlight rolling away until the beam fell on Mizuki’s bloodied body and Iruka was paralyzed, watching as a towering, emaciated form slipped out of the trees like a spider and reached for Mizuki.

In the harsh light, Iruka saw the sharp segments of the creature’s bones straining against its blackened skin, stretching thin as it crawled on all fours with jerky movements. The bleach-white stag skull sitting atop its shoulders glanced around, the empty holes of its eyes passing over Iruka. A thicket of branch-like horns sprouted from the back of its head, the viciously sharp tips almost hidden by the dark of the woods. It bent down to noisily sniff Mizuki and breathed out, releasing a cloud of vapor that ruffled Mizuki’s hair and thickened the odor of rot. Its jaw unhinged unnaturally wide and it bit into Mizuki’s shoulder. Mizuki choked out something that sounded like Iruka’s name and his head lolled to the side as the creature hungrily chewed, bones splintering and grinding.

Iruka covered his mouth. He shook terribly and his eyes watered, unable to look away.

The creature jerked free a strip of meat with a wet snap and a spray of blood coating the flashlight, dousing everything in red.

Self-preservation kicked in and Iruka scooted back, freezing as the skull whipped towards him, blood and flesh dribbling down the jawbone. It chewed once more and swallowed.

 _It can see me, it can fucking see me!_ Iruka braced himself, already feeling phantom jaws clenching around his leg.

The monster then lifted its head and released an ear-piercing screech, the same one they’d heard back in the camp, and leaps away, dragging Mizuki’s body by the leg.

Iruka’s ears rang and he dry heaved and tried not to hyperventilate. _It couldn’t see me,_ he thought with a jolt of relief. _Even in the light, it didn’t know I was there._ He crawled towards the flashlight and couldn’t bear to look at the pool of coagulating blood, disgusted by the iron he could taste in the back of his throat. “Oh god, Mizuki, I’m so sorry,” he said hoarsely, wiping the lens. “I’m so sorry.”

Iruka wiped his nose with the back of his hand and got to his feet. He didn’t get a chance to grieve before another howl fills the air. Then another, and another.

Fear sent him racing blindly through the trees, desperate to get out.

* * *

Bursting through the bushes and into a large moonlit clearing, Iruka tripped and tumbled onto the dirt, rolling a few times. Panicked, he scrambled to his feet and nearly fell back down as footsteps rushed to him, and he bit back a cry and threw his hands up to protect himself.

“There’s another one!”

“Oi, it’s a human! He’s not one of them!”

“Genma, stop before you fucking kill someone!”

 _The blue camp!_ Iruka sagged and propped his hands on his knees. “Help,” he wheezed, his lungs burning. “There’s something…in the woods...you have to help...” he trailed off. 

Rather than finding the full seven-member blue team and the slight protection they could offer, he found three. 

Genma, Kakashi, and Tenzou were standing before him, bloodied and wounded and looking equally as wide-eyed and terrified as Iruka felt. Behind them, the campground they booked was ruined; the fire was nothing more than smoldering embers and their tents had been ripped apart and spread across the clearing. Iruka didn’t want to look closely at the human-shaped pieces strewn in the grass.

“Oi, you okay?” Kakashi, the only one Iruka vaguely knew, moved to his side. He touched Iruka’s armband. “You’re from the red camp? Up the mountain? Did you guys—?”

Iruka hung his head. “You guys too? Kotetsu and Izumo...Mizuki and Hayase...” Iruka’s face closed in pain. “They’re gone.”

“Did you see them?” Genma demanded, tightly gripping a dented aluminum baseball bat. “Those fuckin’... _things?_ Did you see them?”

Tenzou snatched the bat away. “Are you trying to scare him even more?”

Kakashi ignored them. “Did you see anyone else on your way here? Any rangers?”

“What are they?” Genma added, but his question wasn’t directed at Iruka.

“They’re wendigos, believe it or not,” a voice chimed in from behind them.

 _That voice!_ Iruka whirled around. “Hayase? You’re alive?”

Hayase fully emerged from the shrubbery and kept a few cautious feet away, his gaze jumping from person to person. He touched the back of his head and shot Iruka a grimace. “I fell down while Mizuki was yelling. Knocked myself out, and when I came to, you were both gone and I found my way here. Is Mizuki—?”

“It ate him,” Iruka said stonily, not seeing the slightest sign of dirt or blood on Hayase’s head. “And took his body.”

Hayase cringed. “I’m so sorry.”

“You said they’re wendigos.” Tenzou approached Hayase. “What do you mean?”

“The cannibals from the campfire stories?” Genma made a face. “Seriously?”

Hayase nodded and edged closer to Iruka. “They’re not stories. Not anymore.”

“Bullshit.”

“They fucking ate Gai and Asuma,” Kakashi hissed. “You got any better ideas?”

“Some freakish evolution of bears?” Genma tried. “Mutant wolves?”

“Do wolves crawl around in trees?” Iruka asked bitterly. He looked at each of them. “It had a skull for a head. A stag.”

“Oh, Jesus.” Tenzou scrubbed his face.

Hayase stared at Iruka. “You saw one up close?”

“Well, shit.” Genma plopped down and gazed listlessly at the ground. “If the stories are true, we’re all fucked.”

“We need to get off the mountain, first,” Tenzou interjected firmly and wiped a trail of blood off his forehead with the back of his hand. “We don’t know if they’ll come back.”

“Of course they will,” Kakashi muttered. His eyes tracked the ridge of the mountain and the tops of the trees. “We’re still alive.”

Tenzou followed his gaze. “Think we’ll make it until dawn?”

“We’ll be lucky to last a few hours,” Genma said nihilistically.

“Wow, thanks for the morale.” Tenzou pursed his lips and faced everyone. “Look guys, the other camps probably have survivors — we should group up. Safety in numbers.”

Genma jumped to his feet, deathly pale. “The green camp. _Raidou.”_ He yanked the bat out of Tenzou’s hands and tore into the woods. “I’m bringing Raidou back! You guys stay here, I’ll be back!”

“No! Genma, wait! We have to stay— _Genma!”_ Tenzou chased him until he reached the edge where the clearing met a wall of trees. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Genma! Come back!”

Kakashi followed for a few stepped. “Genma! You fucking idiot, come back!” At the lack of response, Kakashi gritted his teeth. “Shit.”

Tenzou returned to the group, looking harried. “From this point on, no one leaves. We have to stick together.”

Iruka glanced past him and saw Hayase adding kindling to the fire. “What do we do?” He focused on Kakashi. “Can we even fight them off?”

“We tried that.” Kakashi nodded towards the tents and his face darkened. “All of us.” He pinned Hayase with a glare. “Can they be killed?”

“I don’t know.” Hayase raised his hands, puffs of smoke rising in front of him as the fire resurrected with a flash of orange. “Mizuki knew more about them than I do.”

“Kakashi, don’t be stupid,” Tenzou snapped and stepped in front of Kakashi. He threw a hand out. “We won’t win. Our best bet is to find the others and get off the mountain.”

“And how do you think we’ll get down? By staying put?” Kakashi jabbed a finger towards the trees. “The only way out is through the fucking woods and for all we know that’s where they live and Genma just served himself up on a silver goddamn platter.”

“Do you have a map of the mountain?” Iruka asked. “We can try to find a shortcut. Avoid the dense parts.”

“I had one,” Tenzou offered and headed for the tents. “Might still be in what’s left of my tent—” 

_“—FUCKING RUN!”_ Genma screamed, sprinting out of the woods and into the clearing. He made it a quarter of the way before a stag-skull wendigo sprang out of the woods and pinned him to the ground with a giant clawed hand, pushing down hard enough that Iruka though he heard the loud _snap_ of Genma’s spine giving way. Genma’s legs stopped moving and his cries died down to whimpers.

They were all frozen in place as the wendigo’s sightless gaze bore into each of them. Its horns stretched high into the sky and it howled, the sound drilling into Iruka’s ears. From within the dark, another wendigo responded and the trees shook as it drew nearer.

_“RUN!”_

Iruka didn’t know who screamed, but it kick-started a surge of adrenaline and Iruka took off across the clearing and towards the rest of the mountain, the wendigo’s heavy footsteps closing in impossibly quick.

He didn’t see Kakashi, Tenzou, or Hayase as the woods swallowed him into inky darkness. He didn’t see the pine tree until he slammed into it, bright pain lighting up his face as he passed out.

* * *

Iruka woke up on his back. 

He groaned and touched the line of fire across his face, his fingers coming away sticky. “Ah fuck.” It seemed like a lot of blood and he felt queasy, glad he couldn’t see it.

Iruka blinked through the burn, his eyes watering as the woods eventually came into focus. He felt the ground for his flashlight and gave up after a minute, unsure if he dropped it before running into the tree or after. He got to his feet and swooned from the vertigo. “Ow, fuck.” 

He took a few cautious steps and once he could walk straight, he wandered around in the hopes of stumbling across a path or finding one of the blue camp members. “Hayase?” he whispered. “Tenzou? Kakashi?” To his right, something in the bushes moved and Iruka stilled. “Hello?”

An icy hand clamped over his mouth and Iruka almost bit through it. 

“Shh, it’s coming,” Kakashi hissed into his ear, his chest pressing up against Iruka’s back. He removed his hand and tugged Iruka backwards until they bumped into a tree. They slid down and Iruka found himself nestled between Kakashi’s legs in a little alcove the tree roots created. 

The bushes continued to rustle, the sound traveling in a semi-circle around them. The soft _thud_ of weighty footsteps wreaked havoc on Iruka’s pulse. It stopped a few feet away from them, unseen in the dark.

 _“Ir...ru..ka,”_ it groaned. _“Iruu...ka.”_

Iruka thought he whimpered as Kakashi’s hand slapped back over his mouth, setting off a fresh wave of pain on his face. They listened as the figure approached and ventured into a stray beam of moonlight. Iruka wanted to scream and Kakashi’s hand tightened mercilessly.

It wasn’t Mizuki. Not anymore. 

His skull was utterly grotesque, twisted into a half-human and half-something else amalgamation that had broken open the orbital cavity on one side of his face and split the skin to make room for a wide ridge of new bone. Raw bloodied structures protruded from the top of his head, resembling the horns Iruka had seen on the other wendigo, and the once grey hair had fallen away, replaced with little fine black bristles. His body had stretched, his limbs thin and sallow but ended in a set of scalpel-sharp claws that Iruka easily pictured puncturing through his body. He couldn’t see the chunk the other wendigo had taken from Mizuki’s shoulder, the entire area smoothed over. 

Mizuki shuffled forward, puffs of steam trailing from the yawning maw where his jaw used to be. It didn’t look like it could close. “Irr...uka,” he said again, the sound guttural and slow, as if it pained him to speak. “Hel...ee.”

Iruka shrank back and his hand fell on one of Kakashi’s knees. He absently wondered why it felt wet and he clenched it in an iron-grip. Kakashi let out a soft exhale near his ear but didn’t move away, only pulling Iruka tighter against him and deeper into the tree roots.

Mizuki passed them, still calling out his name. His footsteps faded away.

Iruka didn’t relax until Kakashi did, feeling the other’s shuddering breaths become less restrained.

“Someone you know?” Kakashi murmured and his lips brushed across Iruka’s neck.

“That used to be Mizuki,” Iruka confirmed breathily, his heart racing for reasons other than fear. It dawned on him how close they were to one another; _intimately_ close. “I thought he was dead.”

“Fuck. So we’re dealing with zombie logic, great.” 

“Zombie logic?”

“You get bitten, you turn.” Kakashi paused and Iruka could only guess what face he was making. “You aren’t hungry, are you?”

Iruka almost smiled, caught off guard by Kakashi’s nonchalant tone. “Uh, thanks for the save.” Again aware of his wound, Iruka reluctantly wiggled out of his spot between Kakashi’s legs. As he did, Kakashi let out a yelp. “What? What’s wrong?”

A flashlight clicked on and Iruka protected his eyes with a raised hand. Once the white spots faded, he saw Kakashi tugging the shreds of his pants out of the way and inspecting the raw mess of flesh that used to be his knee. 

“One of them almost got me. Fucked up my knee pretty badly, but it was my fault.”

Horrified, Iruka looked at his hand and found it coated in dark red blood. “Oh Jesus, I’m so sorry!”

Kakashi shook his head and pointed at his own face. “Sorry about your face. I didn’t mean to grab you like that.”

“Is it bad?” Iruka traced the line from one cheek, over the bridge of his nose, to the other cheek. “It feels bad.” He faltered. “Not as bad as that, though.”

“Might make a neat scar,” Kakashi said with a forced grin. “Something to boast about once we get out of here.” He braced on the tree roots and Iruka moved in to help him up. Kakashi gingerly placed weight on his leg and a low groan escaped him.

“How badly does it hurt?”

Kakashi worked his jaw. “Feels like I’m getting a hot poker shoved beneath my kneecap and twisted around. Four, maybe five out of ten?”

“Are you always this casual?” Iruka asked, more to keep the conversation going than anything. He guided them away from their hiding spot and towards a slightly less dense patch of woods. They managed a staggered walk with Kakashi’s arm over Iruka’s shoulder and Iruka’s arm around his waist. Kakashi’s free hand shined the way, dipping often as he struggled to keep steady.

“Not always, but it’s helping me to not lose my shit,” Kakashi said pleasantly. “Even if I’m still hoping I’ll wake up.”

“Yeah, me too.” Iruka opted to switch subjects. “Any idea where we are?”

“Lost on the mountain. You?”

“Ha-ha,” Iruka said dryly. “I’ve no idea.”

“You found our campgrounds.”

“Hayase and I were following Mizuki to find Izumo and Kotetsu. They never came back to their tents and we thought maybe they had gone to your camp...”

Kakashi was silent for a moment. “They didn’t. It was just our group that was attacked, right as everyone was asleep.”

“Do you think we’ll make it?”

“If we play it smart, sure. Those things waited until night to attack. Maybe they’re afraid of daylight, like vampires or something, so it follows that we need to make it to morning and we’re in the clear. At least we’ll be able to see them coming.” 

Iruka couldn’t tell if Kakashi was lying but he chose to believe him. “You think anyone has reached out to the rangers?”

“I dunno,” Kakashi said and Iruka didn’t reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothin' like a good campfire story, amirite?  
> Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated :D


	2. Hayase

They kept walking, the silence punctuated by Kakashi’s sharp inhales that Iruka ludicrously feared the wendigos would hear; every silhouette that lurked outside the flashlight’s beam looked like a wendigo waiting to pounce and Iruka had to make a conscious effort not to panic. As Kakashi’s breathing began to sound more and more pained and their progress worsened, Iruka insisted on a break. 

Not quite arguing, Kakashi lowered himself to the ground without bending his bad leg and rested his head against the tree. He closed his eyes and wrapped his hands around his leg above his knee. “Fuck. I’m exhausted.”

Iruka could see the sheen of sweat on his forehead and the tight clench of his jaw. His eyes drifted over to Kakashi’s injury and he was disturbed by the amount of blood soaking Kakashi’s pants. How much had he lost already? He knew Kakashi needed medical attention but until they got off the mountain... Kakashi wouldn’t be able to climb the steeper inclines, swim through any creeks, or run if they got spotted. A different thought occurred, reminding Iruka of Mizuki. He banished it immediately.

“I think we’ll be fine for now,” Iruka said quietly and sat next to him. He wanted to mention it to Kakashi, but he was sure Kakashi knew.

One eye cracked open. “Turn off the light, save the battery.”

Iruka obeyed. “It’s sound they’re attracted to, right?” He waited for Kakashi’s profile to appear as his eyes adjusted to the dark. “Earlier, when Mizuki was attacked, I was right there in front of it, but it couldn’t see me.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it; I’d rather keep out of sight completely. I’m grateful they can’t smell for shit.”

“I wonder how many are out there. Mizuki’s one, and there’s the one that turned him, the stag-skull.”

“I was sleeping when they went for Gai’s tent. The fire was out, we couldn’t see…” Kakashi cleared his throat. “There were two and I don’t remember seeing a stag. I barely saw them at all, but I would've remembered that.”

Iruka shuddered. If they’d been sleeping, if Hayase hadn’t noticed Izumo and Kotetsu weren’t back… 

“I wonder where they come from,” Kakashi added as an afterthought. “I never paid attention during Gai’s dramatic retellings.” 

Iruka scooted a little closer, prepared to defend himself with the excuse of being cold, but Kakashi didn’t remark on it. “Well, as the stories go, the mountain has a pretty deep cave system and a group of cavers got lost right as the mountain rangers shut everything down. The tunnels were collapsing. They turned to cannibalism to survive and in turn, became wendigos. Though,” Iruka said thoughtfully “depending on who you ask, some prefer the theory that one of the bigger cave-ins released the wendigos and that they’ve always existed.”

“Great. I won’t be trekking through caves anytime soon, that’s for sure.” Kakashi’s joke fell flat.

Iruka peered down and picked out the amorphous grey blobs of Kakashi’s hands digging into his leg. His heart ached. “How’re you holding up?” 

“Not the best vacation I could’ve taken.”

“I’m being serious.”

Kakashi waited for a beat and sagged against Iruka. “If the wendigos don’t get me, the blood loss might,” he said quietly.

Iruka blinked rapidly. “N-no, you’ll be fine, you’ll make it.” Panic wrapped around his chest and Iruka grabbed Kakashi’s hand and squeezed. “We’ll both be fine, don’t say that.”

“Trying not to think about it.” Kakashi squeezed back. “Don’t worry.”

A comfortable silence soon descended and Iruka oddly didn’t want the moment to end, content despite everything to keep holding Kakashi’s hand.

Kakashi was the first to break it.

“You don’t have to stay with me, you know,” Kakashi began idly and Iruka immediately grew uneasy. “I’m not exactly helping your chances.”

“What?”

Kakashi gestured towards his leg.

“You saved me before. You want me to leave you?” Iruka said, his throat tight. The very idea made Iruka want to vomit. He’s lost everyone else already; he can’t lose Kakashi.

“You could reach the mountain ridge and use the view to find a way out,” Kakashi continued. “Or you could scale the rocks and hide out until morning. There aren’t any trees for them to hide in up there. You’d be safe.”

“You’re joking.”

“No?” Kakashi replied, confused.

Iruka’s hold on Kakashi’s hand turned into a vice and Kakashi winced. “You think I’d do that?” He fought to keep his voice quiet, wanting to shout some sense into Kakashi’s thick skull.

“No, actually, I don’t. That’s why I’m bringing it up for you.”

“You—” Iruka took a deep breath, blood roaring in his ears, and eased his grip. “No. I won’t.”

“You should. It’s the smart thing to do.”

_ “I won’t. _ Don’t ask me again,” Iruka threatened as viciously as he could muster.

Kakashi lapsed back into silence and Iruka wished he could see his face clearly, suddenly regretting his desperation. His cheeks burned. Was he that obvious? 

“Okay,” Kakashi said finally. “I won’t.” He tentatively squeezed Iruka’s hand again and intertwined their fingers.

Something warm and dizzying blossomed in Iruka’s stomach but it was quickly forgotten as he glanced out into the trees and caught sight of something glinting in the dark. A brief swell of adrenaline made him twitch but the shine was metallic, not the soft white of bone. 

Iruka lifted his head for a clearer view and he thought he saw a building. “Hey, do you see that? Behind the trees?” At Kakashi’s panicked jerk, Iruka pulled his arm down, holding him in place.  _ “No _ , it’s not that. It’s metal.”

Kakashi followed his gaze and squinted. “Huh. What do you think it is?”

“We’re not close to the lake, so it can’t be a boathouse.”

“And you want to check it out?”

“I think it’s a good idea.”

“And you won’t go without me?”

_ “No, I won't.” _

Kakashi exhaled, the sound carrying an edge of amusement. “Alright, if you want to.”

Iruka stepped out in front of him and held out a hand. He took on the brunt of Kakashi’s weight as Kakashi found his balance, and Iruka tucked himself back beneath Kakashi’s arm. They walked slower than before and Iruka chewed his bottom lip.

“Kakashi, your leg—”

“I know,” Kakashi said grimly.

“We should hurry.”

* * *

The shine Iruka had spotted turned out to be a support cable for an old fire watchtower. 

Rising twenty feet in the air and standing only a few feet taller than the surrounding pine trees, the tower was worn down, overwhelmed by the woods creeping in and the rust eating away at the metal support beams. A wooden staircase climbed up the base and opened into a wraparound balcony that led to a small cabin with large windows. 

To Iruka it looked like a little boat, floating atop the trees in a sea of stars.

As they trudged up the rocky ground, Iruka could barely contain his excitement. “There’s got to be a radio in there! We can call for help.”

Kakashi eyed it suspiciously. “It looks ancient. Look how small it is.”

“Small or not, I’ll take it. At the very least we can stay for the night.”

Iruka led Kakashi to the staircase and Kakashi leaned on the banister, catching his breath. In the dim light, Iruka could see Kakashi visibly sweating and looking paler than before; was the injury, or something else? “Think you can make it up?”

Kakashi gauged the distance and grimaced, pain lining his face. “No. But if I don’t go, you won’t, right?”

“Right,” Iruka said softly.

Before Kakashi could respond, a howl tore across the woods — distant, but close enough it sent Iruka’s heart racing. Was it moving closer? Was it following them somehow?

Kakashi shared a look with Iruka. “That’s our cue to go,” he quipped, unable to hide the slight panic in his voice. He held out an arm and Iruka immediately anchored himself beneath. 

Step by step, Kakashi arduously climbed the staircase with Iruka helping support his weight. He left a growing trail of smudged bloody footsteps behind him and his breathing turned ragged. His white-knuckle grip on the banister began to slip as they neared the top of the stairs and Iruka struggled with the added weight.

“We’re almost there,” Iruka said urgently and scanned the woods for a white skull. They’re making too much noise. “Just a bit longer, I promise.” 

Kakashi responded with a pained hissed and redoubled his effort, leaving Iruka awed. The second he stepped from the balcony and into the cabin, he collapsed.  _ “Fuck,” _ he groaned from the ground. “Fucking kill me.” He rolled to his side and grabbed his knee, the moonbeams filtering through the windows shining off his clenched teeth. 

“No dying yet,” Iruka gasped, aiming for blithe as he clutched his side where a stitch formed. He locked the door and bent over, the entire left side of his body aching from Kakashi’s weight. “Ngh, fuck. We made it.” Straightening up as the ache subsided, he studied the inside of the tower. 

An inch-thick layer of dust coated the cabin’s furnishings which consisted of a small couch, a rickety cot, a neglected kitchenette, and an odd circular map in the middle of the cabin. Along the back wall, adjacent to the door they entered, a blown-up map of the mountain was pinned. Small polaroid pictures were tacked along the mountain and Iruka dismissed the map in favor of the radio sitting beneath one of the windows.

Waving off the cobwebs, Iruka switched it on and pressed the button on the microphone. “Hello? Hello? Can anyone hear me?” He waited and twisted the radio’s frequency dial and flipped a few more buttons. “Hello? ... _ shit! _ The battery might be dead. That, or it’s broken.”

“It was worth a shot,” Kakashi said feebly.

Iruka ignored him, not willing to give up. “There have to be spare batteries in here.” 

Tugging open and rooting through a metal filing cabinet tucked away in the corner, Iruka discovered a large dusty metal box with ‘FIRST AID’ embossed on the top. His eyes widened and he yanked it out, thrilled to see it hadn’t been used. 

“Kakashi! Look what I found!”

Kakashi lifted his head. “Is there something for tetanus in there? We’ll need it as soon as you open that thing,” he managed through his teeth.

Iruka cracked the kit apart and grinned. “Better. There’s actual painkillers.” He opened the bottle, broke the seal, and poured out a few tablets onto his palm. “They’re expired, but they’ll still have some effect. Can you dry swallow?”

“Spitters are quitters,” Kakashi croaked. “I’ll fuckin’ snort them if I have to.”

“Swallowing works.” Iruka handed the pills over and Kakashi swallowed them down. Iruka dug through the rest of the kit and took out a couple rolls of gauze, a bottle of iodine, antiseptic lotion, and a moldable aluminum splint. “Let me know when they hit — I’ll try to bandage your knee. Can’t say it’ll help, but it’s something until we get you to an actual doctor.” His eyes strayed back to Kakashi’s knee and this time, he couldn’t help but be afraid of what the wound would look like.  _ Was it a bite? _

Kakashi nodded and laid his head back.

Silently, Iruka let him rest and poked through the rest of the cabinet. 

He found a flare gun in the bottom drawer and tucked it into the back of his pants with a muttered, “just in case.” A bright yellow walkie talkie proved to be as useful as the radio and Iruka irritably tossed it aside. In the end, there weren't any spare batteries. He turned to grouse to Kakashi and found him dozing off, his pained expression gone for the moment. 

An affectionate smile curved Iruka’s lips and it morphed into a grimace as he retrieved the medical kit. He held his breath as he parted the scraps of Kakashi’s pants. The blood and crusted debris made it hard to see. The wound had gathered dirt from the cabin and the surrounding skin felt hot and tight to the touch.  _ Was it infected already? _ Iruka snipped away the scraps and gently wiped away the crumbs of dirt.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have any water,” he whispered and poured iodine over the wound, forcing himself to continue as Kakashi twitched in his sleep, his forehead scrunching. He blotted away the mixture of blood and iodine and spied three long gashes that almost reach bone. His relief was palpable. It wasn’t a bite! Iruka rummaged through the rest of the kit, fighting back the chill that ran down his spine and the flip-flopping of his stomach. It wasn’t a bite, but the wound was still gruesome to see. “I don’t actually know what I’m doing,” Iruka confessed idly. “I hope I’m not making this worse.”

He smeared an antiseptic in and covered it all with white gauze. He cut off a strip of bandage and placed the moldable splint around Kakashi’s knee. Bending the splint into place, Iruka wrapped the bandage around tightly, hoping it wouldn’t slip off.

Kakashi groggily came to as Iruka finished tying up the ends of the bandage. He offered Iruka a deeply grateful look. “Thank you,” he said softly.

Iruka squirmed, his cheeks burning. “Don’t thank me yet — I wasn’t a boy scout, I don’t know the first thing about wound care.” He closes the kit and shoves it aside, not bothering to mess with his own injury – it had long ago stopped bleeding.

Kakashi managed a tired shrug. “It’s fine.”

“You need to see a doctor.”

“Sure.”

Disliking Kakashi’s defeated tone, Iruka sat beside him and folded his legs into himself. The chill of the cabin began to seep into his bones. How cold was Kakashi? “Did you really think I’d leave you?” 

“I thought about it.” Kakashi stared up at the ceiling. “Most people would’ve.”

Iruka picked at his boots, hesitated, and asked anyway. “Would you have left me?”

It was Kakashi's turn to hesitate. “If I did, I think I would’ve regretted it for a long time.” He cleared his throat. “What do we do now?”

“I don’t know. If we wait here, we might freeze to death. The temperature keeps dropping and my coat isn’t thick enough. I don’t think—”

The  _ thump  _ of heavy footsteps climbing up the wooden stairs interrupted him.

* * *

Iruka jumped to his feet, all fatigue vanishing as he scoured the cabin for a weapon, fear clogging his throat. He had to protect Kakashi!

The footsteps reached the door before he could find anything and the doorknob rattled. “There’s fucking blood all over the stairs — if someone’s in there and you’re alive,  _ please say something,” _ a voice begged in a hurried whisper.  _ “Please!” _

Kakashi sat up in a flash. “Tenzou!”

Iruka yanked open the door and pulled Tenzou inside.

Tenzou almost decked him in surprise. Instead, he grabbed Iruka’s shoulders. “Oh shit! You’re alive!” He spotted Kakashi. “Kakashi, you too!”

“Hey,” Kakashi offered. “Fuck, am I glad to see you. Have you seen anyone else?”

Tenzou’s face dropped and he let Iruka go. He rubbed his hands together and blew on them. “I dunno. I haven’t seen anyone.” His face darkened. “But I’ve seen those fuckers. One of them had a wolf skull for a head, and call me crazy, but I swear they’re searching the mountain for us.” His eyes fell on Kakashi’s wound. “Oh hell, are you okay?”

“Fine, fine,” Kakashi waved a hand and it flopped loosely back to the ground. “The painkillers are doing a fantastic job. You look rough.”

“No shit?” Tenzou gave a rueful laugh. “Having the time of my life.”

A thought occurred to Iruka, turning his blood to ice. “You weren’t followed, right?” He stared hard at Tenzou. “They didn’t see you come here?”

Tenzou shook his head. “No. I practically crawled through the bushes to get here. They hop through the damn trees.” He glanced between Iruka and Kakashi. “As nice as the view is, I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay for long. A group of them were heading this way. They’re blind, but those things are smart. Have you guys tried the radio?”

“Radio’s dead.” Iruka remembered the map with a jolt. “Can you read maps? There’s one on the wall.”

“Before we plan anything, I’m a little tired of the taste of dust,” Kakashi said lightly.

Iruka rolled his eyes. “Help me get him onto the cot?” he said to Tenzou. 

Together, they carefully placed Kakashi on the creaky cot and Iruka draped an emergency blanket over him. While Tenzou turned his attention to the map, Iruka kicked something that was hidden beneath the cot and pushed out of sight. 

Iruka frowned. “What’s this?” 

Kakashi peered down. “What’d you find?”

Iruka dragged it out and realized it’s a small wooden chest. He pried it open and pulled out a hiking backpack that looked brand-new. He shared a confused look with Kakashi and reached for the zipper.

Tenzou made an odd noise. “Um, have either of you actually looked at this?”

“No?” Iruka turned to him. “We haven’t been here that long.” 

“Take a look,” Tenzou said patiently.

Iruka handed Kakashi the backpack and moved to Tenzou’s side.

The map itself covered a large section of the wall and was the faded yellow of old paper. Drawn in black ink was the entirety of the Wolf Trap Mountain, complete with small sketches of the campgrounds and the native pine trees that cover a third of the mountain’s body. Pinned along the mountain’s outline were the polaroid pictures Iruka saw earlier.

He followed Tenzou’s finger and Ōkei stared back at him from one of the polaroids.

* * *

“Ōkei?” Iruka blinked. “Why is his picture here?”

Tenzou tugged the picture off and flipped it over. “October first,” he read aloud. “Does that mean anything to you?”

“No. He was supposed to come along on the trip but he couldn’t make it...” Iruka trailed off uneasily. 

Tenzou pulled off a few more pictures. “They all have dates on them, going back pretty far.”

One of the pictures looked vaguely familiar to Iruka and it soon clicked. “Oi, I’ve seen this person before. She’s one of the campers from the groups that went missing on the mountain a few years back. Her picture was everywhere.”

“They’re pinned to specific spots.” Tenzou traced a finger along the map. “Fuck, is this a hit list?”

“Probably a body count,” Kakashi added. Sitting up with the backpack open in his lap, he waved a stack of papers. “These are missing persons reports and newspaper clippings of the accidents. Ōkei was reported missing. There’s also our camp rosters in here.”

“Hayase was with Ōkei.” Iruka’s skin crawled. “I  _ thought  _ he was acting funny.”

“But why was he up on the mountain?” 

“Confirmed sighting,” Tenzou read from another one of the pictures. “Body not discovered.” He held his breath. “Was he...luring people here? For the wendigos?” He looked at Iruka, his eyes wide.

“He asked us to join him for a final get-together, but that doesn’t…” Iruka protested and faltered. “He did lie about being knocked out when Mizuki was taken, though. He argued with Mizuki about them. He knew more than he let on.”

Kakashi set the backpack to the side. “The disappearances have been happening for years, too long for Hayase to be doing it.”

“There’s gotta be some connection.” Tenzou dropped the pictures onto the table beneath the map. “This isn’t a coincidence.”

“Mizuki turned into one,” Iruka said slowly. “What if Ōkei did?”

Kakashi cocks his head. “Hayase led Ōkei to the mountain to get eaten?”

Tenzou propped his hip on the table and waved an arm. “So Ōkei goes missing and turned into one and now Hayase’s feeding him?”

“I don’t know, I think?” 

Kakashi opened his mouth to argue and stopped as a faint howl shook the windows. Another wendigo responded, horrifyingly close. 

Iruka wanted to shrink down and hide. “That sounded nearby.”

_ “I think  _ we need to get out of here as soon as possible,” Tenzou stressed. “We can let the rangers deal with this once we’re far away from here. Look,” he dragged his finger along a line on the map. “Here’s where we are — the old fire watchtower. We aren’t anywhere close to the campgrounds, and the ranger station that was at the beginning of the trail up the mountain is too far away. Our best bet is the lodge at the base of the mountain. Do you guys remember passing it yesterday?”

Iruka and Kakashi both nodded.

“If we cross the woods through this area, going in a straight line, we can make it to the lodge and we’ll be in the clear. I wasn’t kidding when I said the wendigos are looking for us.”

“How far away is it?” Kakashi grunted, shifting to the edge of the cot to stand.

Tenzou didn’t respond for a long moment. “Two, three miles? Maybe a little more.” He avoided Kakashi’s face.

Kakashi turned white.  _ “Fuck me, _ miles?” He looked down at his leg. “There’s no way I can make that.”

“Well, you’ll have to so you don’t freeze to death by yourself,” Iruka said stubbornly. “We gotta go.”

“Iruka, listen, I’m not trying to be a martyr here; I’d like to stay alive. I can’t make a run for it if they find us. You and Tenzou can.”

“Then we’ll find another way. It’s both of us, or neither. I’m not leaving you.”

Tenzou snorted. “You’re coming with us, like it or not. Between the both of us, we can manage to drag your ass if we have to.”

Kakashi looked angry before he gave in and slumped. “Fuck you both.” He pinned Iruka with a heavy look and then nodded at Tenzou. “Alright. Let’s go.”

* * *

Another freakishly strong gust of wind slammed into them and Iruka had long ago lost feeling in the hand that was keeping Kakashi’s arm anchored over his shoulders. His other hand was nestled warmly around Kakashi’s waist, lined up with Tenzou’s. 

Kakashi had given up holding the flashlight and Tenzou had clipped it to the hiking backpack he had stolen from the tower. Iruka tried not to think about how slow they were moving or the fresh blood oozing from Kakashi’s leg. With each step he and Tenzou took on more of Kakashi’s weight.

“Any idea where we are?” Iruka said to Tenzou, wincing as yet another gust hit. It distorted the rising cries of the wendigos lurking through the mountain and Iruka couldn’t tell how close they were. His heart hammered in his chest, his pulse a frantic drumbeat in his ears. 

“No,” Tenzou gasped. “Can’t tell.” He took a step and stumbled a bit, jostling Kakashi and Iruka. “Shit, shit, sorry!”

“I’m fine,” Kakashi reassured through clenched teeth. “We have to keep going.”

The woods began to thin out and rather than bring relief, Iruka grew more fearful. Although they’d be able to see the wendigos coming, the wendigos could track them down easier.

High above, the full moon glowed, rendering the flashlight mostly useless. 

Something darted around in Iruka’s peripherals and he froze, barely able to caution Tenzou and Kakashi before a figure jumped out and drew a startled cry from Tenzou.

“Iruka! Is that you?”

Iruka licked his chapped lips. “Hayase.” He stared at the bloodied baseball bat resting on Hayase’s shoulder.

“You guys are okay!” Hayase’s eyes gleamed unnaturally bright. 

“So are you.”

Hayase cocked his head. “And that’s my backpack.” He eyed each of them. “So you guys found out, huh?”

“Hayase, what happened to Ōkei?” Iruka said, unable to hide the tremor in his hands.

Hayase’s face darkened and he took a step closer. “It was an accident — we were supposed to explore the mountain on our own. Ōkei didn’t believe the stories and I wanted to show him, I wanted him to see…” Hayase smiled humorlessly. “It was all an accident and no one believes me. Not even Mizuki.”

Kakashi stirred. “Ōkei’s dead?”

“No. He’s not. He’s around here.” Hayase waved a hand palm up. “I’ve been looking for him.”

“Is he one of them?” The words fell out of Iruka’s mouth before he could hold them back.

Hayase turned to him, an ugly scowl on his face. “Izumo never told it correctly, you know. It wasn’t the cannibalism that changed the cavers. You don’t turn from deciding someone’s thigh looks tasty. No, no, it’s more complicated than that.” He started a slow circle around them, his grip never loosening on the bat. “To become one, you have to eat one. The cavers managed to capture a wendigo and out of desperation they ate it. The rest of the story you know is true.”

“That’s disgusting,” Tenzou spat.

Kakashi’s arm flexed around Iruka and he looked up at Hayase. “How do you even know that?”

“Mizuki didn’t...he couldn’t have,” Iruka started, nauseous. Hayase froze and Iruka had to crane his head to see him, his back horribly exposed. 

“Mizuki? They turned him? Why?”

“—good luck finding Ōkei,” Tenzou cut in. “Let us know when you find him.” He staggered forward and Iruka copied him, Kakashi swaying between them.

“Sorry guys.” The bat  _ thunked  _ into the ground as Hayase dropped his arm. “You aren’t leaving until I find Ōkei.”

“Hayase,  _ don’t—!” _

The bat swung and connected with the back of Tenzou’s head. Silently, Tenzou crumpled and took Kakashi with him, Kakashi only just managing to keep from landing face-first into the ground.

“Are you trying to kill us all?!” Iruka yelled, forced to sprint away as Hayase closed in on him. 

“I’m not trying to kill you! But they don’t come out unless there’s people. I need you here!”

“Hayase,” Iruka pleaded, his eyes darting to Tenzou and Kakashi, mentally begging one of them to stand. “The rangers can help find Ōkei.”

“Iruka, don’t make this harder on me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“We can go together! We’ll ask the rangers to send out search parties, they’ll find him.”

“No they won’t!” Hayase slammed the bat in the ground, right where Iruka was standing a second ago. They don’t believe me! I tried to tell them and no one believes me!”

“They’ll listen to us. If Kakashi and Tenzou are there, they’ll listen, I promise.”

“Lying isn’t going to help you, Iruka,” Hayase growled with another wild swing. “I know how to call them!”

As if listening in, a trio of wendigos cried out, loud enough that Iruka swore they were right next to him. He gained some distance as Hayase was distracted and he dashed towards Kakashi and Tenzou when one of the wendigos jumped into view.

It was taller than Mizuki, the nest of branches on its head more majestic than wiry. It didn’t have a wolf or a stag skull, but something that would become a bear’s; thick, bloodied canines shone in the moonlight. It took a heavy step, vapor pouring from its open jaw as its sightless gaze surveyed the clearing and settled on something just past Iruka.

Paralyzed, Iruka’s eyes followed its gaze and landed on Kakashi who was watching the wendigo with wide eyes, all color gone from his face.  _ Oh fuck. It wanted Kakashi. _ Beside him, Tenzou hadn’t moved.

“Ōkei,” Hayase breathed, awe in his voice. “Is that you?”

Iruka looked a little closer and felt his stomach drop as the skull became vaguely familiar. “Oh god.”

The wendigo snorted, its clawed fingers twitching, slicing through the dirt. 

“Ōkei, it’s me, Hayase. Don’t you remember me? I told you I wouldn’t leave you.” Hayase moved towards the wendigo, his hands raised placatingly. “It’s going to be okay, I’ll help you. I’ve been looking for you.”

The Ōkei wendigo ignored him and flung itself towards Kakashi. In a moment of panicked clarity, Iruka remembered the flare gun digging into his back. He yanked it out and threw himself in front of Kakashi, firing off a shot that immediately blinded him with a burst of red light.

Through squinted eyes, he saw the flare strike Ōkei and scorch his thin skin. Ōkei squealed and reared back, a stray kick launching the flare into a dead bush that instantly caught fire. With a powerful  _ fwoosh _ , the fire spread to the rest of the dried trees and scrub, dousing the area in heat and orange light.

In the middle of the fire, Ōkei rose to his full height and roared. He puffed out his chest, his ribcage in full view. Behind him, Iruka noticed Tenzou finally waking up, shuffling onto all fours and grabbing his head.

Iruka took aim.

“No!” Hayase shouted. “Don’t hurt him!” He threw himself at Iruka and knocked him to the ground. 

Iruka’s head cracked against a rock and he was left stunned as Hayase pinned him down. His vision blurred and his arms refused to move even as he screamed at himself to fight back. _ “Get off—” _

“Hayase!” Somehow on his feet, Kakashi tackled Hayase off of Iruka. His bad leg hit the ground and he howled in pain, but grabbed Hayase’s legs and held him back as Hayase scrambled for the gun. “You motherfucker!”

“Iruka, give me the flare gun!” Tenzou cried from the other side of the clearing. 

Ōkei’s skull-head swiveled to focus on him and he gnashed his teeth, darting towards Iruka only to rear back as Tenzou kicked a bunch of burning pine needles at him.

“Get Kakashi and go!”

“Stop! You can’t go!” Hayase sprang to his feet and delivered a vicious kick into Kakashi’s side. “Ōkei!”

“I’ll fucking kill you!” Kakashi snarled. With his good leg, he caught the back of Hayase’s knee and as Hayase fell, and sank his foot into Hayase’s jaw with a solid  _ crunch _ .

Iruka’s legs wobbled as he got up, dizziness swamping him for a moment. He grabbed the gun and tossed it in Tenzou’s direction, hoping Tenzou caught it, and helped Kakashi to his feet. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!” Kakashi’s arm back over his shoulder, Iruka muscled through with the last bit of his strength, his entire body close to giving out. Kakashi switched to a broken step-hop and the exit loomed close.

“Iruka, please!” Hayase retrieved the bat and blocked the way. He held out a hand. “You have to understand why I did this. You saw the tower.” To Ōkei, he yelled out, “Ōkei, you have to remember! This isn’t you!”

Kakashi tensed. “Hayase, you’re fucking insane, man. Ōkei is gone.” 

“No he’s not! He’s fighting it.”

Another flare lit the world and Ōkei screeched, pulling Iruka’s attention towards him. “What the fuck are you waiting for! Go!” Tenzou screamed.

Ōkei charged at Tenzou and executed a ninety-degree turn towards Hayase.

Iruka’s jaw dropped and he watched on in sick fascination as Ōkei’s powerful hand slammed into Hayase’s midsection and anchored him to the ground. A geyser of blood erupted from Hayase’s mouth and he clutched Ōkei’s hand as a pool of blood grew beneath him; it looked black in the moonlight.

“Ōkei, no,” he pleaded. 

Kakashi’s body jerked and Tenzou reappeared beneath his other arm, blood pouring from the gash in the back of his head. “Let’s move!” 

They made a wide berth around Ōkei and reached the end of the clearing that led to the lodge. The freezing winds had begun to attack the fire and their path was cleared. It wouldn’t be long until the fire was out completely.

Ōkei stepped off of Hayase and let out a triumphant roar. He grabbed Hayase’s leg and dragged him around, searching for a way out without fire. Hayase screamed as his skin shredded on the rocky ground and he flew through the air as Ōkei leapt over the fire and deeper into the woods.

* * *

Iruka hazarded a look back once the woods were behind them and dawn began to break over the welcoming lodge. 

From the thicket of trees still shaded by black, a wendigo surfaced and watched them with its empty gaze. Another skull appeared and then another and Iruka looked away.

Ōkei, Hayase, and Mizuki watch them leave before slinking back into the mountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! :D


End file.
